The Hour of Heroes
After the Emperor regained consciousness, the situation stabilized rapidly. The Emperor delivered the news of the Prince's punishment to Grand Duke Cromwell of the North.
In response, Grand Duke Cromwell begged the Emperor's forgiveness for his foolish action of closing off the North.
With the Emperor granting his pardon, it was officially proclaimed that the North and the Imperial Family had restored their previous relationship, and the Frostbite Gate was opened once more.
Meanwhile, a cold wind swept through the imperial capital. The nobles who had supported the Prince, as well as those who had been fully aware of his bizarre behavior but failed to stop him, were all punished.
They were stripped of their offices and titles, and the merchant guilds associated with them were slapped with astronomical fines.
The vacancies were quickly filled by a new faction supporting the Princess. In an instant, Princess Shuren's political influence in the capital grew immensely powerful.
Naturally, any contracts associated with her gained immense weight, and leading the pack was the Lorend Merchant Guild.
"From now on, all Blue Stones used by the imperial court will be supplied by the Lorend Guild. Oh, and don't forget the milk!"
"Yes, Your Imperial Highness. Right away."
Princess Shuren had decisively put her stamp on the matter, shifting from a joint supply agreement between the Jebb Guild and the Lorend Guild to an exclusive contract with the Lorend Guild alone.
The imperial court consumed thirty percent of all Blue Stones in the capital and wielded massive influence over the magic towers and other guilds that made up the remaining seventy percent. By doing this, the court had effectively certified the Lorend Guild as the sole authority over the Blue Stone trade.
While the capital's political scene was in such turmoil, a guest arrived at the Lorend estate. It was Tyron Jebb, the head of the Jebb Merchant Guild. Gilbert Lorend received him in his private study.
"It's been a long time, Tyron."
"Indeed... Has it been eight years since we last met like this?"
This was the first time they had sat down together since the assembly of the capital's merchant guilds eight years ago. Gilbert recalled those days.
Back then, the Jebb Guild had been raking in astronomical wealth through their monopoly on Blue Stones, while he had been struggling to keep afloat with the milk business started by his son's idea.
In those days, Gilbert had viewed Tyron as an insurmountable wall. But now, the tables had turned. Gilbert took a leisurely puff from his pipe and spoke with easy confidence.
"So, what brings you all the way here? It must have taken some effort to lift that heavy rear of yours."
"...We lost, Gilbert."
At Tyron's admission, Gilbert maintained a completely expressionless face.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Only a second-rate merchant would immediately grasp the hand of an opponent offering surrender. Gilbert knew all too well that to extract the maximum concession, he had to make the other party squirm, practically begging, "Please, take my hand." Tyron, being a veteran merchant himself, understood this game perfectly. Thus, he began to desperately offer whatever he could to satisfy Gilbert.
"I will hand over half of the Blue Stone distribution network owned by the Jebb Guild. In exchange, could you sell us half of your Blue Stones?"
"Hmm..."
The Jebb Guild still controlled the transport network that brought Blue Stones down from the North. Of course, now that the Lorend Guild held a monopoly on the stones themselves, that transport network would only bleed money, with losses skyrocketing over time.
By handing over half of that network to the Lorend Guild and buying Blue Stones from them to fulfill their own supply commitments, Tyron was essentially offering to surrender seventy percent of the Jebb Guild's entire business to the Lorend Guild.
"I beg of you. For the sake of our old friendship, can you not stop here?"
"My son is the one handling this entire venture. I have no say in it."
"But you are the head of the Lorend Guild! I am begging you like this..."
Thud! Tyron stood up, dropped to his knees, and slammed his forehead against the floor. It was the most humiliating act possible for the head of a noble house and a prominent merchant guild.
"Ty... Tyron?"
"Please... I beg of you, Gilbert."
To endure such humiliation for the sake of his family and his guild... Seeing this, a rare spark of pity bloomed in the heart of the cold, calculating merchant Gilbert. Ultimately, Gilbert let out a long sigh and replied.
"...Very well, I understand. I will speak to my son when he returns."
"Thank you, Gilbert."
As he left Gilbert's study, Tyron looked back at him. The man he had once looked down upon now seemed to have ascended to a height he could never reach.
"You have raised an incredible son, Gilbert."
"Yes, he is my pride and joy."
There was no real difference in capability between Gilbert and Tyron. The only difference lay in one thing: their children.
It had been nearly a month since I arrived in the North. Having wrapped up all my business, I had nothing much to do until my departure. Since Matilda had asked me to keep her company, I gladly obliged. A beautiful lady's request is always welcome!
Matilda and I strolled through the gardens of Blakemore Castle as we chatted. The garden was filled with Cheongseolhwa, a blue flower unique to the North. The glowing blue blossoms possessed a surreal, ethereal beauty.
It was exactly the kind of flower my mother, who loved gardening, would adore. It was a shame I couldn't bring some back, as they could only survive in freezing climates.
"Are you returning now, Kyle?"
"Yes, I believe I will be heading back tomorrow."
All preparations were complete, and I was scheduled to return to the capital tomorrow with the Blue Stones. At my words, Matilda's expression filled with deep regret.
"I see... What a pity. I had such a wonderful time thanks to you, Kyle..."
"I also thoroughly enjoyed being able to display my humor to my heart's content in your presence, Lady Matilda."
It had been incredibly fun because I could crack dad jokes to my heart's content in front of her. A beautiful young lady who actually appreciated dad jokes—now that was an exceedingly rare find. Who am I going to tell my dad jokes to now? As I was worrying over this, Matilda spoke up.
"Um, Kyle?"
"Yes, Lady Matilda?"
"If it's alright with you... could we keep in touch through letters?"
Talk about a stroke of luck! I had been looking for a way to maintain a reliable source of information in the North, and here she was, offering to write to me first. It was like a golden opportunity falling right into my lap.
"Of course. Aren't we friends, after all?"
"Fr... friends?"
You bet! Anyone who helps me make money is a friend of mine. In that sense, the North was currently my absolute best friend. I won't forget you, my Northern friends. I'll remember you!
"Yes. Just as the North never forgets a favor, the Lorend family never turns its back on a friend in need. If you ever need my help, please send a letter anytime."
"Yes... I will."
"And this is a parting gift before I leave."
"Th-this is?"
I handed her the gift I had been waiting for the right moment to present. It was an expensive, rare magic book I had purchased from the Blue Magic Tower.
"I heard that you once dreamed of becoming a mage, Lady Matilda. I hope this book helps you achieve that dream."
"..............."
According to the latter half of the original novel, Matilda's dream had indeed been to become a mage. She had abandoned that dream due to her engagement to the Prince, but after the broken engagement served as a catalyst, she began studying magic again and awakened as the greatest mage of the North.
The scene where Matilda, having reached the 8th Circle, slaughtered hordes of monsters with blizzards was a spectacular sight in more ways than one. Because of this, her nickname in the latter half of the story was The Ultimate Weapon Lady.
It was a moniker that sounded like she could destroy the world on a whim. At any rate, this allowed her to play an active role as one of the strongest powerhouses of the North, albeit in a different way than Lord Ivan.
I had gifted her the magic book in advance as a sort of bribe. Upon seeing it, she looked back and forth between me and the book for a long time with a stunned expression. What? Did I do something wrong?
"Do you not like it?"
"No, that's not it. I really... I really love it. Thank you, Kyle. I feel like I'm always on the receiving end with you."
"Investing in the future is an essential skill for any merchant. You can repay me whenever you're ready in the future."
At my words, Matilda smiled brightly. With her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes curved into crescents as she spoke.
"Fufu, I see. Yes... I understand. I will definitely repay you in the future."
"It's a promise, Lady Matilda."
It is unknown how Kyle would remember the memory of that day. But for Matilda, it was a day she would never be able to forget for the rest of her life.
She had lived her entire life as the daughter of the Grand Duke of the North. Her own dreams and goals had never mattered; only duty and responsibility existed for her. Yet, Kyle was the first person to speak to her about her dreams.
He had gifted a book to someone who was only trying to build a relationship for the sake of the North's future, reminding her of the dream of becoming a mage that she herself had forgotten. To her, Kyle felt like someone who understood her better than her own family did.
She had heard that all merchants were calculating creatures. But if someone could be calculating to this extent, wasn't that a form of sincerity?
Feeling the texture of the book pressed against her chest, Matilda thought that she must meet Kyle again. No, she would meet him. After all, she had promised to repay him.
The next day, the carriages of the Lorend Guild set off for the capital, laden with Blue Stones. A total of thirty-one carriages were mobilized, transporting forty-five tons of Blue Stones in a single trip—enough to supply the capital for three months.
We were escorted by the Northern Guard for the first half of the journey, and once we entered the imperial territory, we received a grand escort from the Imperial Capital Guard sent by the Princess herself as we made our triumphant return.
As we entered the capital, my father and the members of the Lorend Guild were waiting to welcome us. My father, Gilbert, greeted me not with his usual cold, composed expression, but with eyes that were visibly misting over. Has Father's estrogen levels gone up with age? He was tearing up and showing a surprisingly emotional side.
Father patted my shoulder and spoke.
"You did well, my son."
"I'm back, Father."
The Lorend Guild's very first shipment of Blue Stones had officially entered the capital. Bring on the wine and the women! It is the hour of the heroes who brought home the gold!